Monday, 28 November 2016

A new project ensures that it is possible to develop diamond-based batteries and nuclear waste

Yes, we have reached a point where there are so many projects seeking an evolution in batteries that is easy to miss, if ever, these projects are the only way to study and experiment in order to pave the way to an improvement in these components.

Today it has emerged one of those developments that seem taken from a science fiction novel, as they promise almost eternal battery autonomy based on diamonds produced from nuclear waste .

Nuclear batteries diamonds

A group of scientists from the University of Bristol are presenting a project that seeks to give a profit to more than 95,000 tons of nuclear waste , which are the result of the closure and decommissioning of the old Magnox reactors in Britain, this as an option to one of the great challenges we face today, which is the disposal of this waste without harming the environment.

The first option that comes to get rid of the remains of Carbon-14 is buried in a secluded place, but this is still very dangerous to the environment, so researchers have developed a method of converting all these remains in generators diamonds energy , a kind of battery that would be resistant to the passage of time, but which in turn would be able to generate a small electric current.

Under the bill, these batteries would not generate a lot of energy, but its importance would be able to provide that energy for a long period of time, as this will depend on the life of the radiation, so that early estimates point to a life 5730 years for just 50% of capacity is degraded, meaning that batteries would be facing a very long duration.

Thanks to these capabilities, these batteries could be used in devices in that it is impossible to change batteries or charge them , as space probes, satellites, drones or small drones could even help in the lives of people to be part pacemakers or other devices to health.

Although it sounds like a good idea, the reality is that today their implementation is far from being a reality, as one of the main problems is the cost when needing diamonds as containing capsules Carbon-14 .

On the other hand, we must mention that just is a project at a very early stage of development, where there is still a long road ahead because so far the first tests were carried out with the isotope nickel-63, so there is no evidence that it works with carbon-14.